There is no snow here, which is a little bit of a problem if you intend to ski, the only topic of conversation on everybody’s lips, especially anyone here on holiday hoping to ski this week. According to the locals, this is the first time in 36 years that there has been no snow at this time of year, we pick our times!
Thankfully & hopefully, we will be here long enough to see some snow and do some skiing, but only time will tell. We are trying not to annoy everyone with that fact, but everyone asks us when we arrived, and how long we are here for, so we tell them, so far everyone has been nice about it, at least to our faces. It is a beautiful part of the world to be in, snow or no snow.
We could try and fight our way over to Flaine, the highest resort our ski pass covers as there are a few ski runs open, but they are mobbed, so much so, that they have stopped selling passes for that area. So we decided to stay local’ish and enjoy everything on our doorstep: walks, the cable cars and the ski buses, which are still running of sorts!
Our first attempt at using the Ski Bus ended in two “no shows” so we went home, via the Tourist information office, they had no idea why the ski buses hadn’t shown up.
Second attempt – called at the Tourism office before going to the bus stop, and they gave us a new updated timetable, on which they have smashed two ski bus routes into one, but not updated the timetables at the bus stops or online! We ended up sharing the new timetable with everyone at the bus stop, including a very disgruntled German with an American English accent. Before the bus did turn up, on time as per the new timetable, a guy arrived to replace the timetable at the bus stop, thankfully he replaced it with the one we already had. However he was challenged by the German with “Well I told them yesterday they needed to update the timetables at the bus stops, so why has it taken you so long? ….” Thankfully for all concerned the only response was a Gaelic shrug. Anyway, we got on said bus, heading to Samoens, talking to a women from Wales, who was meeting her family at the top of the Samoens Cable Car, saying it was nice weather at the top, so we joined her to travel up in the cable car, it was sunny with some snow, but as Paul Daniels used to say “…not a lot…” but some.
Third time using the Ski Bus from Samoens Tourist information office back to Morillon, firstly another “no show’, so we decided to get on the next ski bus that turned up to go back to the Samoens Cable Car, heading in the right direction. We spoke to the driver, got on the bus, then she saw the ski bus we wanted in her rear view mirror and told us to get off her bus and get the next one, result! we got home!
Fourth time using the Ski bus, it turned up on time ‘ish on the new timetable, so all good, we then walked back from Samoens, along the Nordic skiing tracks by the river. (with no snow but a little muddy and rocky in places).
We had pre booked skis to collect a couple of days after our arrival. As there is very little skiing to be had in the area we went to chat to them about what to do. After a few minutes of a mixture of French and English, and even some google translate action, we managed to a do a new deal on our ski hire. They have refunded us the two weeks we had originally booked, cut a deal on “seasonal workers” rates, on a pro rata basis, but only from when we collect the skis! Obviously we have not picked up the skis yet.
Our flat is 50 yards from a very good boulangerie (bakers), we are already working our way through all the different type of bread and pastries they sell. We have also managed 4 different super/mini markets, and there is a market outside the door on Sunday morning, so Nic is happy!
Saturday, went out for a couple drinks at the local bar, then on to a restaurant, specialising in local dishes and pizzas. They were fully booked that evening, but found us a table on the agreement that we would give it back after an hour and a half. Nic had the Tartiflette, Rog had Pepperoni pizza, followed by Assiette of three desserts and chocolate mousse respectively, we both agreed we had eaten too much as it was all so good, thankfully it was only a short stroll back to the flat.
Sunday it is raining in the valley today, hopefully some will be falling as snow up on higher ground, but it is unlikely to be enough to open the ski runs any time soon.
Travurple 